For the longest time, risotto was one of those dishes I waited to order until I went out to eat at a great Italian restaurant. I always knew that I liked it — it was just never on my radar to make at home. Maybe it was the perception that it was difficult? Maybe its short cooking time seemed too good to be true, like I was leaving out some crucial step? Maybe I yearned for and was equally terrified by the amount of cheese and butter that goes into it?

I’m proud to say all of that is behind me now. And if I’m down with making a weeknight risotto dinner, then you should be too. Still unsure? Let’s address the aforementioned fears:

The thing about risotto is that it’s a hands-on dish. It’s not difficult to make, at all — though it’s gotten itself the reputation of a tricky recipe. Rather, it requires your full attention for about 20 minutes while you stir warm broth into the rice until the starch in the rice breaks down and it gets really creamy. But 20 minutes, that’s all. Pay attention for that long and you’ll have a restaurant-quality meal at home. And once you master the basic technique (that’s the standing at the stove for 20 minutes part) you’ll find that risotto is a blank canvas for any kind of add-ins. Make it lemony in the spring or add butternut squash in the fall; flavor it with seafood, beets, artichokes or even chocolate, and then turn the leftover risotto into fried croquettes called arancini or rice balls.

Nadia G’s Creamy Gorgonzola and Portobello Mushroom Risotto is a is a good basic risotto recipe to start with. It’s creamy not from tons of cream or cheese, but from the slow stirring process. A half cup of gorgonzola added at the end gives the dish a bright flavor that complements the sauteed mushrooms. Risotto makes a hearty meal on it’s own, or you can pair it with a spinach salad so you get some extra healthy greens. To take it even further, serve it with a fancy blood orange mojito, like Nadia does on her Girls’ Night In episode.